Crystal Palace receive huge injury boost despite recent worries

Crystal Palace receive huge injury boost despite recent worries Crystal Palace handed Jorgen Strand Larsen boost before Coventry showdown Crystal Palace may finally have a bit of good news. According to Standard Sport, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s ankle injury “is not believed to be serious” and the striker “could be in contention” for next weekend’s crucial match against Coventry. That matters, because Palace need bodies, goals and some basic stability. Strand Larsen withdrew from Norway duty on Wednesday and will return to London over the weekend for further treatment. The issue dates back to the Europa League draw with Besiktas, when he picked up the injury after a challenge from Umit Akdag. The foul “resulted in a straight red card” and Palace were left without him for defeats against Newcastle and Tottenham. He did return for the 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Selhurst Park, and even in defeat his availability was significant. With Jean-Philippe Mateta suspended, Palace can hardly afford to lose another centre-forward. The report states that “his return to fitness last weekend came as a huge boost for Palace”, and that any chance he is available against Coventry “will be a huge relief for the Eagles”. That is hard to argue with. Photo IMAGO Crystal Palace facing pressure on and off the pitch The bigger issue is obvious. Palace are bottom of the Premier League, with “two of their opening 10 games” won. That is not a wobble, that is a mess. Results have been poor, confidence looks shot and the managerial situation is hanging over everything. Standard Sport reports that “Pierre Sage is expected to be sacked as Palace manager in the coming days”, with “Thomas Frank the frontrunner to succeed the Frenchman”. Palace only appointed Sage this summer, but the piece says he “has struggled to follow in the footsteps of Oliver Glasner” and is now likely to pay the price for a “disastrous start to the season”. So this is where Palace are, waiting on one striker’s ankle and one manager’s exit. Strand Larsen’s fitness will not solve everything, but it gives them a fighting chance in a game that already feels bigger than it should. Our View This is the first bit of Palace news in a while that does not make you want to put your head in your hands. If Jorgen Strand Larsen is fit enough to face Coventry, that changes the mood straight away. Not completely, because this team still has major problems, but enough to feel that the next game is not already sliding away before kick-off. The squad has looked thin, blunt and fragile. Take one striker out, suspend another, and suddenly every attack feels improvised. That is why the line that he “could be in contention” matters so much. Palace do not need miracles, they need functional players in functional roles. Strand Larsen gives them that. The manager situation feels overdue. If Pierre Sage is going, then just get on with it. Lingering uncertainty helps nobody, especially a team already bottom of the table. “Disastrous start to the season” is harsh, but it is also accurate. Two wins in 10 tells its own story. As for Thomas Frank being mentioned, that at least sounds like a serious solution rather than another hopeful punt. Right now, competence would be a huge step forward. Coventry suddenly feels massive. Get Strand Larsen back, make a clean decision in the dugout, and maybe Palace can start behaving like a Premier League side again. Source: Standard Sport